Enfield Council is considering setting up its own lettings agency to tackle the soaring rate of homelessness in the borough.

The proposal for a social lettings agency, which is included in the council’s homelessness strategy, would help to boost the supply of homes for vulnerable people and cut down on costly emergency accommodation.

It means the council would be able to offer its own rented accommodation and reduce its reliance on private landlords to house homeless families.

Enfield has 3,350 households in temporary accommodation following a 70 per cent rise in the past six years – the second-highest figure in the UK.

Housing people in temporary accommodation costs the council £8 million a year, and this is continuing to climb as the council faces ongoing pressure from government funding cuts.

At a cabinet meeting yesterday (Wednesday, October 17), councillors discussed several measures aimed at freeing up the supply of rented accommodation, as well as tackling the causes of homelessness.

Councillor Dino Lemonides, cabinet member for housing, said the borough’s high levels of homelessness were due to “a rising population, high levels of deprivation, welfare reforms, and other boroughs placing (homeless) families in Enfield”.

He added: “The problems are getting more acute, and all we can do is try and make inroads.”

The report includes plans to help tenants move on from temporary accommodation to renting their own home.

It also features proposals to use modular housing – prefabricated homes that can be assembled quickly – and add more storeys on top of existing blocks to boost supply.

At the meeting, councillors also raised concerns about other London boroughs using emergency accommodation in Enfield to house their own homeless families.

Cllr Lemonides said: “Other boroughs find Enfield cheaper. That is detrimental on the supply side.”

He said there were around 300 homeless families from Haringey living in Enfield, while Haringey houses a similar number of Enfield families.

Council leader Cllr Nesil Caliskan said: “We do have control over where we place residents, and we are clear we will ensure, as far as possible, we keep residents who want to stay in Enfield and do not push them out of the borough.”

The cabinet approved the report’s recommendations to carry out further work on boosting the supply of housing and reduce the council’s reliance on temporary accommodation.